For every dining area, kitchen, bathroom or hallway, there is a perfect type of flooring. Modern laminate flooring and imitation stone are hard wearing and look incredible. Historically, replica products may not have looked realistic, but the technology has changed and now the replica flooring often look better than their natural counterparts.

Timber laminates

There are a huge variety of colours, styles and sizes available and you just have to choose which you like best.

Finishes cover a huge range, from a white-washed beach-feel through to cool blonde tones of Maple or Oak. Some styles such as Oak feature the finely grained texture of a slow-growing timber, others look more uniform, simple and manufactured. While natural timber is varied, with knots and whorls, manufactured laminate flooring can be as natural or clear as you desire them to be.

The size of the boards, as when selecting real timber floors, matters. Wide boards take on a distinctly modern appearance, while the narrow boards often take on a more traditional look. There are even small laminate boards designed to be installed in a classic fishbone ‘chevron’ design. 

The materials used to create these flooring options vary hugely, and many are extremely durable and totally waterproof, making them great for wet areas such as bathrooms or laundries. Stone based flooring, or SPC, is four layers designed to work together to provide toughness. Even the timber-look flooring is made from limestone which is stable and completely resistant to water. A standard laminated plank is a compressed wood that’s highly compressed to make a tough product. The more compressed, the heavier it is, and the more hard-wearing it is. 

Laminate wood flooring is easy to install too, as they tend to be a floating floor that simply clicks together. A sound-absorbing pad underlay is the bottom layer of the flooring, so there’s no substrate preparation needed. Just DIY click and go. Laminate flooring with a good quality underlays helps to reduce noise, increase insulation and warmth.

Tile laminate flooring

While a laminate tile floor might not be what springs to mind when thinking about flooring, there are plenty of reasons to choose a laminate over a real tile floor.

Extremely robust, the options can look very natural, if that’s the look you want. However, they are easier to transport and lay than the natural product, with a consistent look. From small chequer squares of contrasting tiles to large modern rectangles, there are a wide variety of looks for any space. 

Benefits of laminate flooring

Generally speaking, laminate flooring is cheaper than their natural counterparts. Not only is the product itself cheaper, but with a bit of time and patience, you can install laminates by yourself. Traditional tile and timber require substrate preparation, whereas laminates can easily cover a variety of problems.

They offer a more consistent product than the natural ones. With no natural variation between boards or tiles, they have a very distinct look that many people prefer. 

Some laminates are more durable than timber as well. While wood will absorb water and warp, the limestone based products are just as water-resistant as a rock. If you need a flooring area that’s waterproof, laminate flooring delivers.

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